Book Club Discussion Questions
For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, and our BookBrowse Review of The Distance Between Us.
Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
An exclusive interview with an elusive Lebanese crime king and thugthe
kind of opportunity that every journalist lives for in the war-torn Middle East.
But for Caddie Blair and her colleagues en route to just such an assignment,
things are off-balance from the start. Not long into the trip, their Land Rover
is ambushed by a band of radical militiamen, and photojournalist Marcus LancourCaddie's
colleague, friend, and loveris shot and killed in an assignment gone awry.
So begins this engaging account of an impassioned journalist who believes
that getting the storywhile remaining detached from the situation and the
people involvedis everything. As Caddie says, if you get too close, you feel
too much. And when you feel too much, you're sunk.
But her world soon begins to unravel when these long-held beliefs in
objectivity and fairness ultimately lead to great personal loss. What follows is
a sometimes unsettling yet always compassionate look at Caddie's tenuous
struggle between a desire for revenge and freedom from the guilt she feels for
having survived as she learns to incorporate her losses and recast her life.
In her latest novel, Masha Hamilton, a seasoned journalist herself, gives
readers an insider's perspective about the decisions that war correspondents
sometimes face and the impact these decisions have on their lives.
The
Distance Between Us allows readers to reconsider their own judgments and
views about reporting, knowing that objectivity and detachment often come at a
substantial cost.
Discussion
- The essence of this book is in its title. Distance exists in the political
landscape of this novel as well as in Caddie's life. What are some of the
historical and cultural differences that create distance between the
Palestinians and the Jews in this story? How does creating distance influence
Caddie's relationship with Marcus? her professional colleagues? her friends? her
community? herself?
- In an instant, Caddie loses the two elements of her life most dear to her:
Marcus and her professional detachment. How has reporting about violence in the
past affected her?
- After Marcus's death, Caddie finds herself drawn closer and closer to
dangerous situations, putting herself at increasingly greater personal and
professional risk, as if she were invincible. What drives this reckless
behavior? What other professions encourage similar forms of escape? Does
escaping become addictive?
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- How does the author develop themes of identity and belonging throughout the narrative?
- What role does the setting play in shaping the characters' decisions and relationships?
- Discuss how the ending reframes the events of the story. Were you surprised?
Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Unbridled Books.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.